Vertical oven



April 52s, 1925.

O. A. COLBY VERTICAL OVEN ffl,

Filed March 1, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet' 2 be I6 4l 'as W BY L A .'ATToRm-:Y l

Patented Aprn 28, 1925.

kPATENT OFFICE.

ORA A. COLBY, 0F IRWVIN7 PENNSYLVANIA, .ASSIGNOB TO W'ESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A,

GQRPRATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA.

VERTICAL OVEN.

Application filed March 1, 1923. Serial No. 622,057.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ORA A. CoLBY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Irwin, in the county of Westmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Vertical Ovens, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to ovens and particularly to electrically heated ovens.

The object of my invention is to provide a relatively simple and compact oven structure for heat-treating materials.

In practicing my invention, I provide a plurality of co-operating heat-insulating` walls, certain of which are of plane` and one of which is of arcuate contour, enclosing an oven chamber which may be considered as comprising two portions, one of which is of substantially rectangular cross-section and the other of which is of substantially semicircular cross-section. A vertically-extending, rotatable shaft is located in said chamber and extends therebelow and is driven by any suitable operating means. A plurality of horizontally extending trays are secured to the shaft, on which trays the material to be heat treated is placed. Electric heating elements are located in the oven chamber against the walls'of plane contour andare substantially Vco-eXtensive therewith.` In a modified form of my invention. I provide a plurality of radially extending arms at the upper end of the shaft, on which removable frames, each comprising a plurality of spaced trays may be hung. Means' is provided for causing said frames and trays to rotate relatively to the respective vsupporting arms, as the shaft is rotated.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view, in vertical section, of an oven embodying my invention, taken on the line I-I of Fig. 2,

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view therethrough, taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view therethrough, taken on the line III-III of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is avertical sectional view of a modified form of oven embodying my invention,

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view therethrough, taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view therethrough, taken on the line VI-VI of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary View, partly in sdeelevatee and, partly .in section, of a lthese three panels or walls is substantially plane in contour and each comprises an inner and an outer metal sheet between which is placed a quantity of heat-insulating material. The heat-insulating u all 15 is substantially semi-circular in contour and the edes thereof operatively engage, and are @nnected to, the outer edf., s of the two side walls 13 and 14. u

The hereinbefore ldescribed heat-insulating panels enclose an oven chamber' 1G which may be considered as comprising two portions or compartments, one of which is enclosed by the three plane walls and is, therefore, substantially rectangular in cross section. The front panel 15, of arcuate contour. encloses a portion of the oven chamber which is of substantially, semi-circular contour in cross-section. lis the details of construction of the heat-insulating panels or walls constitute no part of myvinventiomand any desired or suitable construction, usually employedfor such purposes, may be used theiY are not further described in detail. .y

To effect a complete enclosure of the oven chamber 16, a bottom heat-insulating panel 17 and a top heat-insulating` panel 18 are provided, which co-operate with the other panels to enclose the oven chamber 16.

A shaft 19 is located in the oven chamber 16 and extends vertically therethrough. Suitable bearing members 21 andQQ are pro-- vided in the top and `in the bottom panel, respectively, in which the shaft 19 is rotatably mounted. The shaft 19 extends below the oven chamber 16 a suitable distance in order that operating means may be connected thereto. f

A worm gear 23 is mounted on the lower end of the shaft 19 and is operatively engaged by a worm 24 mounted on the end of the shaft of a suitable driving motor 25, which is mounted on the supporting frame 11. Any suitable or desired means of causing rotation of the .shaft 19, in its bearings. may be provided but have illustrated an electric'- motor; 'Iyhe worm gear is a preferred forniy of drive but one whichv may be replaced by any other suitable or desired means.

l plurality of materiai-supporting frames carried by the respective adjacent arins'of yThis construction permits of easily andv quickly removing the' supporting frames 23.

any oneofthe trays27 from the-supporting frames 26 to permit of removing therefrom the heat treated material andi of placing thereon fresh material t'o be heat'tr'eated withiirthe'chamber 16.

The front panel 15 is provided' with a K- plurality of superposed relatively' narrow doors 28 which are hingedly mounted at one side" of the panel structure; suitable locking); means 29 and a handle 31 being; provided for each of the doors. l provide a' plurality of doors of relatively small height so that access may be had toK any desired part yof the oven chamber.' whereby it isY possible to or' two of the trays and of replacing the remove heat treated materialI from any one removed material by fresh materialwithout materially changing' the' heat conditions of the other parts ofthe oven'cliamber when in operation'. y

plurality of electric heating' elements 32 are located in the oven chamber 16 and" may be .supportedv adjacent kto theV heat insulating panels 12, 13, 11i and 15 in any suitable or desired' manner. The heatingfg/ elements may be of any suitableor desiredv construction and it is desired that' they be of such construction as tov distribute theh'eat evenly and lthat. they extendy substantially ther entire height of the oven' chamber and over at least t'liey greater portion' of the internal periphery of'thewalls'12; 13 and 14:.

. Referring more particularly to Figs. l to 6?, inclusive I have illustrated a' modified; form of construct-ionwhich maybe advantagzeousunder certain conditions. The same general' construction of oven walls; oven chamber and Vof the vertically extending shaft and its driving' means may be einployed as hereinbeforef describedp for the construction illustrated' in Figs. 1f to. 3, inclusive: v

t the top' of the' shaft 19' there is provided a skeleton supporting vframe 33.' here illustrated as comprising four4 radially lextending arm'sg. each ofh wliicl'iiis' provided with a notch 34' init-fs' upngeredge adjacent the outerL end thereof. Upon* each of the arms of the frame 331 there: isy suspended a material-supporting structure comprising a plurality of horizontal trays 35 thatarc maintained in. spaced relationby a pair o'l' rods 36.. At the. top.` of the structure there is provided a swivel. joint 37 anda chain link. 381 which is adapted to tit intothenctch 3l and support the plurality of spaced trevs 35 from' the respective arms of the frames 33. At the bottom of the structure comprising the trays 35 and the supportingrods 36,4 there isiprovided a central shaft 39 carrying a metaldi'sc Allhavinrr abeveled face which is adapted to operatively engase the (3o-operating oppositely beveled inner face of a substantially circular track which is' located? in the'l oven chamber 1G adJacent the bottom thereof and held in proper operativer position by' anyl suit ble-or desired means.

The Shaft 39 extends through thel discll-` a short distance to permit of beingr located the electric heatinn'elements 32,. which@ were y described in connection with Fig; 1 off the drawings. v

As the assembled? Vtrav 4structures illustrated in Figs. l to 6; of the drawings ma?,VT be employed to support' relatively heavy material` it may be' desirable to' provide an roverhead track wherebyr the assembled tray structures maybe easily and quickly moved into and out of the oven chamber'. Ani' ove-rhead?4 traclr 44 is illustrated= i-n= Fim. T and; is provided with.l an inclined' movabley portion 45. the outer end of which may hebrmight into operative engagement with the endsof the respective arms ofthe supporting; struc.-Y ture and the travr-structures moved thereon in ai manner well knownl inL the art.

The device emb'odying'my invention may be employed not only in bahingmven structures but also` in'y any' type of oven where: it is desired to heat treat material iny heatinsulated structures. The vtrays 27, illusftrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings7 be made non-removabley instead of; removable as illustrated in the drawings, 'as materia'l may be placed thereonf and removed therefrom by the operator -wiiiliout` remove ing and reinserting the respective tray mem, bers. v

l'n the modification illustrated iin 4 to 6, the entire tray structures are removable as a unit and Where the overhead track construction, illustratedL in Fig. 7 is used, much heavier' materials or much greater Weight may be easily and quickly handled by any operator.

If it is desired to subject all of the materials placed upon the trays 35 to the direct action of the heat from the heating elements 32, the structure illustrated in Figs. 4 to G, accomplishes this purpose by reason of the rotation of the respective tray structures not only through the furnace chamber but also relatively to their point of suspension, and therefore, of course, relatively to the heat ing elements.

The modification illustrated in Figs. l to G, inclusive, is of value in applications other than for baking ovens, such for instance as core baking ovens.

Various modifications and changes may be made herein Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an oven, in combination, a plurality of heat-insulating Walls enclosing an oven chamber, one of said Walls lof said oven chamber being of arcuate contour and the remaining Walls of non-arcuate contour in cross-section, a shaft in said chamber, a plurality of circular trays secured to 'said shaft, and electric heating elements located only adjacent those walls that are of non-arcuate contour.

2. In an oven, in combination, an oven chamber having Walls respectively of arcuate and of non-arcuate contour, in crosssection, a plurality of trays located in both said portions and rotatable therein, and electric heating elements located only adjacent those Walls of non-arcuate contour.

8. In an oven, in combination, a plurality of heat-insulating Walls enclosing an oven chamber having respectively of arcuate and of angular contour in cross-section, a plurality of trays located in said chamber and rotatable therein, extended electric heating elements located only adjacent those Walls of non-arcuate contour and a plurality of doors in one of said Walls giving access to said chamber at the side remote from said heating elements.

el.. In an oven, in combination, a plurality of substantially plane heat-insulating Walls and a heat-insulating Wall of arcuate Contour enclosing an oven chamber having one portion of substantially rectangular shape in cross-section and an adjacent portion of substantially semi-circular shape in crosssection, a plurality of trays rotatable through both portions of said oven chamber, and electric heating means located adjacent said plane heat-insulating Walls in said oven-chamber portion of substantially rectangular shape. i

5. In an oven, in combination, a plurality of heat-insulating Walls enclosing an oven chamber, a vertically-extending rotatable shaft in said chamber, a plurality of arms secured to and extending radially from said shaft adjacent the upper end thereof, and frames each comprising a plurality of spaced trays, removably suspended from said arms.

6. In an oven, in combination, a plurality of heat-insulating Walls enclosing an oven chamber, a vertically-extending rotatable shaft in said chamber, a plurality of arms secured to and extending radially from said shaft adjacent the upper end thereof, frames each comprising a plurality of spaced trays, removably suspended from said arms and means operatively connected to said shaft and located outside of said chamber for causing said shaft to rotate.

7. In an oven, in combination, a plurality of h'eat-insulating Walls enclosing an oven chamber, a vertically-extending rotatable shaft in said chamber, a plurality of arms secured to and extending radially from said shaft adjacent the upper end thereof, frames each comprising a plurality of spaced trays rotatably suspended from said arms, means for causing said shaft to rotate and means for causing said frames to rotate relatively to their respective supporting arms.

8. In an oven, in combination, a plurality of heat-insulating Walls enclosing an oven chamber, a vertically-extending rotatable shaft in said chamber, a plurality of arms secured to and extending radially from said shaft adjacent the upper end thereof, a plurality of spaced trays rotatably supported by each of said arms, electric heating elements in said chamber, and means for causing all portions of articles placed on said trays to be subjected to the direct heating action of said heating elements.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 17 th day of February, 1923.

ORA A. COLBY. 

